LET’S BE CREATIVE: August 15, 2024

By NANCY JANE KERN

“ONCE IN A BLUE MOON” is a saying that denotes a rare occurrence and is a moon that rises about once in every three years. It is not blue in color and the origins of this name vary. A “supermoon” is one that comes close to us in its elliptical orbit around earth and happens a few times per year. If it is a super full moon, it looks huge, 14% larger and 30% brighter. With a clear sky, it is possible to see more details of the moon’s surface.

The tides will be much higher in the Hudson River. Tradition claims more babies will be born. If you are a photographer, learn how to get the best shot setup for your camera, check the weather, find the best location with minimal stray light and the optimal time.

Bird migration has started and birds can often be seen flying across the moon. The ground is well lit and there is an ethereal feeling in the scene. The combined blue moon and super moon occur together only once in about 10 years. This year, 2023, the super blue moon is on August 30 and 31. For Ghent, NY, the moon will rise in the ENE at approximately 9:30 p.m.

What a great finale for this summer month. The 182nd Columbia County Fair goers have it to celebrate the Fair’s kickoff with extra light and features for its session. According to the website space.com the seasonal name of this moon is the fruit moon or barley moon. Both Native Americans and European settlers to America named the full moon(s) for each month, often based on food sources for the month. This time of year, we have so many fruits like apples, plums, and pears. Growing up we gathered our crops and often entered them in our Fair’s 4-H and Grange exhibits. Our family worked hard on the Austerlitz Grange booth, giving it a theme with farmers and gardeners adding their best baked and canned goods, vegetables, jams, and fruits. Exhibits were judged and given colorful ribbons plus publicity in our local newspapers. We got bragging rights or thoughts of what we could do better next year.

During the winter we studied garden catalogs and planned what seeds to get for spring, and what techniques worked best. If I were back in the 1950s again I would be taking my horse out for an evening ride around our farms this week. The highest hill has the best eastern view. An arrowhead was found there dating back 1,000+ years. I would wonder who left it there on an ancient deer run and was the full moon observed by this person.

Katydids and crickets sound meaning school would start soon. The smell of wood and hay surrounds us, and cattle are mooing in the distance. No photos were taken then, but the vivid imprint on the senses remains.